The Denver Nuggets made history Monday night as they captured their first NBA Championship in franchise history. It took a team effort in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to beat the Miami Heat for the Championship.
The Heat didn't let down, they battled from start to finish especially with their star player struggling until the fourth quarter. Jimmy Butler struggled all game until the 4:29 mark of the fourth quarter. After a Nikola Jokic bucket giving the Nuggets a seven-point lead, Butler would score 13 straight points for the Heat to the Nuggets five points in a three-minute span as the Heat took a one-point lead with two minutes to go. Butler finished with 21 points and Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 12 rebounds Monday night.
Unfortunately, this is the year of the Nuggets winning Game 5 94-89 thus winning the NBA Finals 4-1. Nikola Jokic finished with 28 points and 16 rebounds as he was named Finals MVP after a stellar Finals performance. The Joker averaged 30 points on 50% shooting, 14 rebounds, and 7.2 assists this series. The two-time NBA MVP can now add NBA Champion and Finals MVP to the resume. Jokic has made a case for best player in the NBA, but he didn't do only.
Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray made life a lot easier for the Nuggets in his return to the court. Basically, missing two postseasons of basketball due to injuries was tough for Murray. Despite Jokic winning back-to-back League MVPs, without Murray the Nuggets struggled in the playoffs. Now, a healthy Jamal Murray sent the Nuggets to Championship status as he averaged 20+ points on 48% shooting and 10 assists in the NBA Finals.
Nevertheless, this game was an all-out fight as the Heat wouldn't lay down. Aaron Gordon struggled with foul trouble along with Jokic. Murray had his worst shooting performance in these Finals going 6-15 from the field and 2-7 from three-point range but an unsung hero came to the rescue in Game 5, Michael Porter Jr. Porter Jr., who struggled all series long showed up when the team needed him most. Porter Jr. scored 16 points and had 13 rebounds in Game 5. Not eye-popping number but those 16 points were much-needed points especially in the first half scoring eight points when Miami was in control. Porter Jr.'s 13 rebounds is a career-high for him and his activity was key in keeping Denver afloat in the Championship clinching game.
The Denver Nuggets was not the odds-on favorites to win the NBA Championship. Matter of fact they weren't the odds-on favorites when the playoffs started, and the Nuggets were the number one seed in the West. The Phoenix Suns were the favorite because they added Kevin Durant to Devin Booker and Chris Paul. Their series against the Los Angeles Lakers, the focus was centered around the Lakers because of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but the Nuggets swept them.
The Nuggets were overlooked and under the radar all season long. Outside of the Bubble in 2020, the Nuggets got few media attention despite being one of the top three teams in the NBA this season.
Now the Denver Nuggets are NBA Championship in their 47th year as a franchise and that can't be overlooked.